Le brave et le téméraire

This low-budget, old-fashioned film, set in Italy during World War II, is probably best remembered for Mickey Rooney's Oscar-nominated performance in a supporting role. And he does steal the show as Dooley, the fast-talking soldier with a dream. But the primary plot revolves around Wendell Corey and Don Taylor's roles as soldiers with very different approaches to war, and life. Corey and Taylor also do fine work, if less flamboyant than Mickey's. The film is extremely well-plotted, in a way that's very rare in today's movies, and the screenplay also was Oscar-nominated. It's a thoughtful piece with something to say about human character. The film has basically disappeared from view. It never appears on TV, and is very hard to find anywhere. But if you come across it, it's well worth viewing.

The main problem with The Bold and the Brave is that the main character isn't likable. Don Taylor, whom you probably know as Buckley in Father of the Bride, stars as a righteous, pious soldier stationed in Italy. The other featured soldiers are Wendell Corey and Mickey Rooney, but when they get together to play a prank on their pal, it gets out of hand. They pay an Italian prostitute, Nicole Maurey, to act innocent and seduce Don.

There are some steamy scenes between the two, but since there are other 1950s movies that also have steamy scenes, you don't have to rent this one. It's not that great of a war movie, and the characters aren't compelling. Mickey is obsessed with gambling, chasing women, and talking big to impress Wendell, whom he thinks is a top dog. Wendell isn't really a top dog, and inconsistently disrespects then defends Nicole. Don is the worst of all. He's rude, stubborn, and righteous, and when he finds out he's been betrayed, he's unforgivably unforgiving. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be a sympathetic character or not, but since he's the lead, it's not very much fun to watch him when he never redeems himself.

The names of three of the actors in this film are probably not very well known today, Wendell Corey, Don Taylor and Nicole Maurey. Mickey Rooney, who is I hope remembered rightly got an Oscar for his role, and the film is extremely good because of its balanced and well written screenplay. The director is unknown to me, and Mickey Rooney directed himself in a gambling scene, and that scene alone is worthy of the best of Howard Hawks. The film is set towards the end of WW2 in Italy, and the first half is a psychological journey for three soldiers and a woman who has turned to prostitution to survive. She falls in love with a preacher, at first against his religious beliefs and when he discovers her past his disgust overwhelms him, and there are consequences to this for the men who serve under him. No spoilers but the love scenes when he is temporarily transformed by love are beautifully acted and moving to watch. Don Talor plays the preacher and Nicole Maurey the woman who needs love, and not to be used. Wendell Corey is brilliant as a man who cannot kill, and his psychological development is accurate and again moving. The latter part of the film is grim in its war scenes, and the futility of war is admirably conveyed. I am not a fan of most War films, but this joins the handful that I do admire and respect. I would give it a ten if it was not for the final words onscreen, focussing too much on cowardice and bravery. These men are just there, doing their best in a theatre of war and suffering, and in this film, it is the analysis of their inner selves that is paramount. The same story could have been equally told from the other side. Well worth seeing.

This is a pure drama for me, not a war feature. War is only used as a kind of setting, nothing more. It is a character study, behavior analysis, psycholigical surgery, very interesting to watch. Lewis Foster gives here is only "war" film, him who is rather specialized in adventure movies. It is rare and emerged only ten years ago on the market; before that it slept in some vault.... Good performances though Wendell Corey seems to be too old for the role. But it is not new in war films; see for instance the Duke in war films. It is nearly laughable. This film can be seen as a topic about different things including bravery, the definition of bravery. For me, some one is brave when he is at first scared and finally wins over his scare, his fright. Some one suicidal, or some one who ignores fear, is not brave. No. But that's only my opinion. And it's surprising to see those two parts in the film, the first where Don taylor's character seem to be ankward, the dude whom his pals "help" him finding a gal, to summarize, the poor good guy. And in the second part of the film, the war part, forget this Don Taylor's good guy, focus instead on Wendell Corey's one, who in the first part, was shown as a bit coward yes, but also the not so sympathetic guy who laughed at his commanding officer who fell in love with the prostitute. It's very unusual in a film to see characters places changing so rapidly during the story; one takes the place of the other.

I recently viewed this movie after not seeing it in several decades. It had always stuck out in my memory as one of the best of the 1950s war movies.

The writing was excellent, a great story of men in war, the brave, the bold, the fallen, the fallen women, and the pious men. The crux of the plot concerns a religious zealot that disdains alcohol, women and gambling, yet feels no empathy at blowing away the enemy. God and Country I guess. As the story progresses, he feels betrayed by his comrades.

The problem I had, was that during the first half of the movie, the acting seemed stiff and all but Rooney seemed to be over-acting...to the point of parody. Then about half way thru, things pick up and so does the acting. I wonder, since Rooney is "un-credited" as one of the directors, perhaps he stepped in to pull this one out of the fire.

The crap game is legendary, and the final action is quite good. The ballad sung over the opening credits and at the conclusion are an added bonus.

While not quite as good as "Attack"(1956) or "The Steel Helmet"(1951) this is still fun 50s war stuff.